Grandview Heights' aging school and government buildings eyed for improvement

The hallways of Grandview Heights High School could be seen as a metaphor for the town.

Very few of the 400 students choose to put locks on their lockers. Hanging near the ceiling are composite photos of every graduating class from 1916 to the 1970s.

On closer examination, exposed pipes run along walls and wires pop out of holes cut in the ceiling panels. At least four different kinds of flooring are found in the classrooms and halls. In a building that dates to the Warren G. Harding administration, there are jury-rigs in the jury-rigging.

"We kinda feel like we're in a big battleship with a hole in the bottom," said Brett Bradley, the district's facilities director. "We pump out water but more comes in."

In Lori Downer's math classroom, the white bricks show major water spots.

"We call 'em the barnacles," she said.

Since the 1980s, students have reproduced the masters along the corridors: Michelangelo, Seurat, Dali, El Greco. When a former principal called for the walls to be repainted a solid color, even offering to photograph the murals and hang the images on canvas, the community went into an uproar.

This is where the smallest school district in Franklin County finds itself. Its buildings average 90 years old, and that's a source of fierce community pride and a cause for worry. There is no consensus so far in the community on how to proceed.

"We really are concerned about the fiscal health of our district," said school board President Jesse Truett. "We've kicked the can as a community down the road for so long."

Another consultant, Harrison Planning Group, estimated that to complete all deferred maintenance and bring buildings up to current standards would cost about $44 million. The district can legally carry debt somewhere between $42 million and $50 million, Truett said.

Options for the buildings will be presented at a May 1 Board of Education meeting. All possibilities are still on the table.

"It belongs to the community," Bradley said. "We want them to be totally involved."

As the owner of a 130-year-old house, he understands the charm of old architecture. But he also knows its pitfalls.

"The people who say 'Don't change anything' — that scares me. As director of facilities, I know what's behind the walls and under the floors."

Less than a mile down the road, the city government of Grandview Heights also has dealt with aging facilities for years, especially the 93-year-old municipal building that houses its administration, police and fire operations and meeting spaces on Grandview Avenue.

The 10,000-square-foot facility was designed mainly as a fire station in 1924, after the city of Columbus stopped providing fire services to the town.

Grandview Heights, like most of the U.S., experienced massive growth throughout the "Roaring Twenties" and became a city in 1931. The inner-ring suburb of about 1.3 square miles has grown into a city of about 7,300 people, but most of its public facilities date back to its beginnings as a village of just a few hundred people.

The main municipal building, expanded in the 1930s and the '60s, now contains the oldest fire station operating in central Ohio.

These days, many modern firetrucks won't fit through its doors. Inside, space is in such short supply that gear and equipment can't be stored properly. There is no living space for female firefighters.

But while the school district likely would need a tax levy to pay for improvements or new buildings, Grandview Heights Mayor Ray DeGraw said the city should have enough cash saved.

After the city last considered building improvements in the late 1990s and early 2000s, voters rejected a bond issue for new buildings twice in 2002. Shortly after, the city lost its biggest employer, Big Bear, which devastated city and school-district tax revenue.

After years of recovery and focus on other priorities, city officials say it's time to revisit the topic — and soon.

"Our need for a modern firefighting facility is driving this the most, but since everything is attached, it's best to look at it comprehensively instead of piecemealing it," said Patrik Bowman, the city's director of administration.

The city council voted Dec. 5 to appropriate $500,000 this year for "civic facilities planning and design" with no set timeline.

The goal is to host community meetings throughout the year to gather feedback about priorities and possible building configurations, DeGraw said.

Elected officials from the city and school district have started meeting regularly to discuss the future. Officials say it's possible there could be opportunities for collaboration.

Bowman said everyone can agree on one thing: Doing nothing is no longer an option.

sgilchrist@dispatch.com

@shangilchrist

awidmanneese@dispatch.com

@AlissaWidman

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.